I had some great stiff cotton, so I decided to make a blouse with a crisp collar and cuffs. I used a simplified method for cuffs that doesn't require a true placket. This is the same method I use for cuffs on my boy's shirts.

-Two rectangles 5" x 10 1/2" with interfacing (This size will fit a 7" wrist. For a different size cuff just adjust the width.)

-One 14" strip that is 1" wide, pressed into quarters (just like a bias tape.)

Prepare the sleeve for a cuff. Make a mark half way between the edge of the sleeve and the center. On that mark, make a slash 3" long perpendicular to the bottom edge of the sleeve. At the end of that slash, snip a small V.

Fold the cuffs in half with right sides together and stitch the edges.

Clip the corners, turn, and press. For the top edge that is open, press each layer in 1/2".

Stitch the buttonholes. Cuffs are prepared and ready for installation.

Prepare the vent. Spread open the slash so that both edges are making a "straight line." Slip the slashed edge inside the prepared tape. The point of the V should just touch the inside fold of the tape. Stitch straight across.

Fold the vent toward the center. Tack the top and press. You'll be left with a clean simple pleated vent. **Be sure to you make a right side and a left side. It's easy to get mixed up and end up with two of the same side.

Attach the cuffs. You'll just slip the sleeve inside the opening of the cuff and top stitch across. Depending on the opening of the sleeve, you may need to add pleats or gathers for the cuff to fit. I like to have two small pleats on my sleeves. Pleats should go in the same direction as the vent. Stitch on your buttons.

When Drew and I moved into our house, our (old) bed couldn't fit up our staircase. I never totally loved that bed. It was a mahogany-colored sleigh bed that we received as a wedding gift. It was pretty, but it was taller than I like and the worst part for me was that it creaked. For the first little while in our new house, we just slept on the mattress thrown right on the floor. We've made an effort to only allow things into our house that we absolutely love. So, when I started to look for beds that I really loved, there were only a few of them and they were all $5,000 or more which isn't in the budget.

My mom showed me how to use a drill, a kreg jig, and a pad sander when we built our dining table, so I figured I could just build my own perfect bed. I wanted it to look like driftwood to go along with the cool colored cape-cod-style board and baton that we put up in the summertime. I modified Ana White's Farmhouse Bed plan for my bed. I lowered the height the whole bed, because I like the mattress to be at chair height so when I get up in the morning I can sit comfortably to do my arthritis exercises.

I bought the wood for the posts, side rails, and backing pieces of the head and foot boards, then had it cut at Home Depot. I had scrap 1x4's for the top finishing pieces. And the best part of all, I got all of the decorative scrap chunks for free!

I started out by connecting the posts to their backing boards. After that I just started hacking out scraps with a jig saw and gluing them wherever they fit. I had a few face clamps to hold things together while the glue dried. Once all the scraps were secure, I stood up the head board and foot board (and man, are they heavy!) and attached the smooth 1 x 4 finishing piece on the top. I packed all the cracks with wood filler, then sanded and stained. To get the driftwood look I wanted I used one coat of Minwax Grey wood stain with just one coat of polyurethane protective coating, because I didn't want it to get glossy.

I love the gorgeous grain of the wood and the variety of color all the scraps bring out.

Here is another super easy Simple Blouse variation: a faux peplum. I think a peplum is just fun and flirty.

Trace the front and back pattern pieces on separate paper. Mark a waistline across both pieces. Cut 7-10 slashes stopping a the waistline mark. Spread the slashes open creating as much fullness as you want. You can retrace your pattern after you've spread it out if you want to. I just did the spreading right on the fabric, pinned it, then cut out. That's it! Just stitch it all together.

This ugly tear happened to my favorite wool coat when the button got caught on the shopping cart at the grocery store. I didn't notice that the button slid inside a slat on the cart and as I stepped away I heard a shredding sound, I looked down and saw a flapping button. I love the coat too much to throw it out, so I decided to mend it.

This is my favorite method for patch mends. This is how I would always do mends in my tailoring shop, and it works especially well on jeans.

1. Cut a piece of fabric large enough to cover the area that needs to be mended. Use the same type of fabric if possible, but if it's not available, something of the same weight and color will do. Lay a few strips of stitch witchery on your patch, enough to cover it almost completely.

*This is stitch witchery. It should be available in your local fabric store, but if you can't find it, you can buy it here.

2. On the inside of the garment place the patch over the area to be mended and apply heat and steam with an iron. The heat melts the stitch witchery and adheres the patch to the garment itself. It also works as a light-weight interfacing and stabilizes the damaged area before mending.

View from outside after the patch is secure.

3. Using a straight stitch, sew back and forth to secure the tear.

TIPS

-Match the thread color to the area being mended. For example, when mending blue jeans, you won't be using blue thread. You'll more likely use grey, because worn out denim ins't blue.

-Don't use a zig-zag stitch. It makes the mend look sloppy. A straight stitch is just as secure and hides away very well.

-If the fabric you're mending has a visible grain (like denim) stitch in the same direction as the grain line. It's just another trick to make the mending stitches hide.

In my collection of fabric I have loads of vintage polyester. I know most people don't like the feel of it, but I have always loved it. I love that it's thick and heavy and it doesn't wrinkle. It does have a little stretch but not lot of drape like other knits, so it's incredibly easy to work with. I gave this blouse a slightly feminine twist with the bust darts and a scoop neck instead of the traditional crew neck.

For the sweatshirt cut out the simple blouse pattern with the following adjustments: Lengthen the sleeves to 2" above your wrist (to account for the ribbing that will be added on later), lower the neckline 1" - 1 1/2".

Cut out and prepare the ribbing. Ribbing works very much like elastic, you'll want it a little smaller than the opening it's being attached to so that you have a sung fit.

These were the ribbing measurements I used:

- Two rectangles 6" x 7 1/2" (cuffs)

-One rectangle 3" x 21" (neckline)

-One rectangle 6" x 36" (hemline)

After you've cut your ribbing, stitch the sides together. (Your stitching will go the same direction as the grain line). Fold the ribbing in half and press.

Pin the ribbing to the blouse and stitch. Since the ribbing will be slightly smaller than the neckline, hemline, or sleeve opening, you'll have to stretch it as you stitch it on. After it's secure, serge out any excess.

Press and top stitch the seam down on the neckline and hemline. This will make the ribbing lay properly. The ribbing on the sleeves doesn't need a top stitch.